Find the grave of the sultan who signed Singapore away, behind Tengkera Mosque
The man who signed Singapore away
The royal burial compound beside Masjid Tengkera on Jalan Tengkera, about 2 km north-west of Jonker Street. The mosque dates from 1728 and is the city's second-oldest; the sultan's grave is in the walled yard to the side.
Why it's unique
Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor put his name to the 1819 treaty that let Stamford Raffles take Singapore for the East India Company, in exchange for British protection against a rival claimant and five thousand Spanish dollars a year. He moved to Melaka in 1834, died the following year, and was buried in the grounds of Masjid Tengkera, a 1728 mosque whose name comes from the Portuguese tranqueira, a stockade.
There is exactly one grave of the man who ceded Singapore, and it is in a suburban mosque yard here rather than in Singapore. Nothing marks it in English, so finding it is the experience: you walk into the compound, work out which of the royal graves under the canopy is the largest, and stand at it.
Before you go
The tomb is in the walled compound at the side, not inside the prayer hall, and it is unmarked in English. Look for the largest of the royal graves under the canopy.
Tengkera has the same tiered pagoda minaret as Kampung Hulu, so pair the two. Jalan Tengkera is also where the Peranakan food is, with Baba Charlie's kuih and the putu piring stall both on this road, which makes the trip one outing rather than a detour. Free, cover up, and avoid prayer times.